February 7, 2023 – About 40% of U.S. households had at the least one person fall ailing with one in every of the three respiratory diseases often called the tripledemic through the holiday season, a brand new survey shows.
The three viruses – influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – surged through the holidays, driving hospitalization rates for influenza and RSV to record levels. According to the Survey results According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 27% of households reported someone having the flu, 15% of households had COVID-19 infections, and 10% reported RSV infection.
Most people (75%) said they tried to get over-the-counter medications to treat their illness. One in five respondents said they'd difficulty finding these medications resulting from shortages. Parents were more more likely to report problems obtaining over-the-counter medications than non-parents.
Most individuals who have had the flu or COVID-19 haven't tried to get prescription medications that may ease the illness. Among individuals who have had the flu, 16% searched for the drug Tamiflu, while 14% of people that have had COVID-19 searched for the drug Paxlovid.
About 1 in 10 people had never heard of Tamiflu or Paxlovid.
All viruses of the “triple epidemic” have been in retreat recently. RSV The variety of cases has fallen from over 20,000 per week in November to lower than 1,000 per week. flu The variety of cases also continues to say no, but the whole variety of hospitalizations during the complete flu season continues to be more likely to be one in every of the best lately. COVID-19 The variety of cases has also decreased.
The outbreak of the three viruses made headlines and prompted health authorities to induce the general public to take precautions comparable to getting vaccinated against flu and COVID. While the uptake of Flu vaccinations This season is average for kids (51%) and barely higher for adults (46%), COVID vaccine uptake was disappointing, at only 16% for the newest booster.
But people were willing to take other precautions within the face of the triple epidemic, the survey results show. Almost half of respondents said they'd taken at the least one protective measure, comparable to wearing a mask in public, avoiding large crowds, traveling less or avoiding indoor dining in restaurants. Wearing a mask was essentially the most common precaution at 31%.
People of various races reported taking precautions to various degrees. Two-thirds (67%) of black and Hispanic adults said they'd taken at the least one precaution, while only 38% of white adults said they'd modified their behavior.
The survey included responses from 1,234 U.S. adults reached by phone or online in English or Spanish from January 17-24, 2023.